The driver, Ashneel Sahil Deo, who is accused of the hit-and-run death of a five-year-old boy on the Lekutu-Nabouwalu Highway in Bua, has been granted bail under stringent conditions by the Labasa Magistrate’s Court. Deo allegedly didn’t stop at the scene of the accident.
The charges filed against him include dangerous driving leading to death and failure to fulfill the necessary legal obligations after the crash. The incident occurred on June 15, 2024, when the boy was trying to cross the road with his father. The boy tragically passed away at the Labasa Hospital the following day.
Deo was apprehended five days post the accident, having managed to evade the police till then. During the initial investigative procedures, he reportedly chose to maintain silence during the police interview.
While Sergeant Vignesh Prasad, the police prosecutor, did not object to Deo being given bail, he did request the court to arrange a pair of sureties. This requirement was initially contested by Deo’s defense lawyer, John Prasad, but was eventually accepted, along with a cash bail bond of $1000.
Magistrate Bimsara Jagodage outlined the bail conditions for Deo. These included not committing further offenses, residing with his father at a fixed address in Naduna, Labasa, and not applying for any travel documents during the trial. He was also instructed to attend all court proceedings until his case is settled and explicitly told not to interfere with state witnesses.
The matter has been adjourned for plea on August 29, 2024, at the Nabouwalu Magistrate’s Court. There is also a request from Deo’s defense to transfer the case to Labasa Magistrates Court, for which an official application is required.